Observations for week 1 (made up on 10-24)

Observations for week #1

On Friday, October 21^st the food pellet was placed in the micro-aquarium.  The following information is concerning the food pellet:

"Atison's Betta Food" made by Ocean Nutrition, Aqua Pet Americas, 3528 West 500 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84104. Ingredients: Fish meal, wheat flower, soy meal, krill meal, minerals, vitamins and preservatives. Analysis: Crude Protein 36%; Crude fat 4.5%; Crude Fiber 3.5%; Moisture 8% and Ash 15%.

            On Monday, October 24^th I spotted several micro-organisms within the aquarium.  The most prominent of these was the protist Vorticella.   These nearly invisible creatures were found mainly attached to the tissues of the aquatic plants via a small, retractable filament structure (myoneme?).  Their feeding parts were surrounded by a thin band of undulating cilia which most likely provided current, forcing nutrients into the organisms gut cavity.  I also observed a single Philodina within the aquarium this week.  Other than that, it was mainly several small unidentified protists.  After observing I filed the aquarium the rest of the way with water and placed back in the tray.